Combination-lock



J. F SCHICKE.

COMBINATION LOCK.

APPLICATION FILEDIJULY 19, mm.

Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

J4 J7 db dos EF' 1. F. SCHICKEY. COMBINATION LOCK.

APPLICATION FlLED JULY 19.1918.

1,374,769. Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

UNITED STATESZPATENT OFFICE.

JOSE]? I. BGHICKE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO JOSEF F. SCHICKE, TRUSTEE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

COMBINATION-LOOK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I J osnr F. SoHIoKn, a citizen of the United states, and residing at St. Louis Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Combination- Locks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to looks, and more particularly to combination locks adapted for locking automobiles in such a manner as to prevent unauthorized use thereof.

Automobiles are locked in various manners, the two principal ones being by key locks and by the ordinary combination locks employing dials. The employment of dials is, however, impractical, for a lock must frequently be opened at night when the dials cannot be re rly sitioned.

One of the ob ects of this invention, therefore, is to provide automobilelock, especially adapted for lockin the steering shaft, which employs a series 0% tumblers and buttons for controlling the tumblers, which can be readily operated to open the lock.

Another object of this invention is to provide a combination lock employing tumblers and buttons, which is simple in construction, effective in its action and cheap to manufacture.

Further objects will appear from the detail description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a face elevation'of an 'autom'o bile "lock embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is asection on the line '2-2, Fig.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the lower half of thelockf gig. is a sectionon the line 4-4, Fig. 3'; an X Fig. ,5 is a detail of one ofthe tumblers.

Referringlto the accompanying drawings, 1 designates: a steering column of. an automobile and 2 the hollow steering shaft. The locking device embod. this invention is niou ted en the steering column and base. locking bolt adapted to engage the shaft to lock it against movement.

Adapted to be. clamped: on the column and I for this purposqfthe locking is with a air ofeemipirfew lei-l gs 39nd ts -acm jraageu together at "5' and embraeing'the steenfig column.

The lugs'B and4-are attached toa of plates 6 and 7 respectively, which are con- 5'5 aeetea ey screws 8, which also act to lock the casing on the steering column. In order to add1t1onally secure the casing on the column, the lug 4 may be threaded to receive a set screw 9 adapted to engage and clamp the column.

The plate 7 is recessed to receive a controller plate 10 adapted to slide therein, and having an extension 11 forming a bolt adapted to enter the keepers 12 and 13 in the steering column and shaft respectively, so as tosecurely lock the shaft against movement. The movement of this controller plate is limited by a pin 14 on the plate 6 engaging a slot 15 in the controller plate 10, and this controller plate is provided with a downturned lug 16 whereby it may be shifted to move the bolt into and out of its keepers. The controller plate is provided with a series of recesses 17, circular in form, and having each a connecting channel 18' of smaller width than the diameter of the recesses 17. A series of these recesses and channels are arranged in line (as shown in Fig. 3). The plates 6 and 7 have sets of alining guide ways 19 and 20, the guide ways 20 bein reduced in diameter, as shown at 21. hese guide ways are adapted to receive tumblers 22, one of which is shown in Fig. 5. This tumbler comprises a o linder having portions 23 and 24 of the iameter slightly less than the diameter of one of the recesses 17 and having portions 25, 26 and 27 of a diameter slightly less than the width of a channel 18. It will be noted that the len h of the portion 23 is less than that of [he portion 24. It will, moreover, be noted that the length of the portion .26 is slightly greater than the thickness of the controller plate 10. C

A cap 28 is attached to the plate 7 by screws 29 passin through the late and into lugs 30 attache to the cap. he heads" of these'screws are located in the plate 7 and under the plate 6 so as to be inaccessible for operation when the plates are together. Arranged within the cap, but spaced from, the end thereof is a late 31, both the plate 31 and the end 32 o the ca being perforated to form to ther aguide or a shank 33 con-'- nected witfi a shift plate 34. Thisshift plate 34"has a series of pins 85*ada ted toe'nter the. apertures 21 to engage t e tumblers. One or more springs 36operate to retain the shift plate against the guide plate 31. The

'shankSS is provided with an enlarged head or button 37 so as to permit operation of the shift plate.

When the shift plate is moved the limit of its movement and until it engages the bottom face of the plate 7, the pins 35y will enter the apertures 21 and engage the tuniblers, so as to move these tumblers to active positions. ,An active tumbler is shown on the right, Fig. 2, in such a position that, when the tumbler is raised by pressing the button 37, the portion 24 will engage the recess 17 and thereby lock the controller plate 10 against movement. The reverse tumbler (shown in the center, Fig. 2) is, however, thereby moved to such a position that the reduced portion 26 will be arranged opposite the controller plate. At this time this pale ticular tumbler will not restrain movement of the controller plate 10 for the reason that the reduced portion 26 has a diameter slightly less than the channel 18, and, therefore, as far as the presence of this tumbler is concerned, the controller plate can slide. Now it will be noted that the plate 6 15 re- Y cessed, as shown at 88, so that the ends 25 and 27 of the tumblers are accessible for removal, whereby any tumbler can be placed in any desired position in any of the guide we 5 1920 in the plates 6 and l ivot'ed at 39 on the plate 6 1s a cap 40, and arranged within the cap is aguideplate 41 which is apertured to uide the tumbler engaging portions 42 o a series of keys 43 mounted in the cap. There is a key opposite each guide way 19-20 so that when the cap is in position, the depression of a key will operate to move a tumbler, if there is a tumbler in the corresponding guide way. Each ke shank is provided w1th a spring 44 whic operates to move the keys to inoperative positions, the keys being prevented from turning by ribs 45 engaging correspondin key waysin the cap and the moveinent'ot the keys to inoperative position, being limited by enlargements 46 on these ribs. These keys may be provided with any suitable designations thereon, such as letters, as shown in Fig. 1, but they may be provided with numerals. In order to securely lockthe capin position, this cap is provided with a sultable lock 47, such as a cylinder lock, having a bolt 48 engaging a corresponding keeper 49 in the plate 6.

Assumin the lock to be in sition on the steering co umn with the b0 1; in operative lockin position as shown in Fig. 3, and with t ree tumblers in the relative position shown in that figure, that is, occu ying the uide ways corres ending to the etters E, i1 and P, the tumblers E and I being in the position shown in the right, 2, so that when the tumblers are moved up b pressing button 37 the enlarged portions 4 will be engaged with the recesses 17 and with the tumbler N in the position shown at the center, Fig. 2, that is, with the reduced portion 26 o posite the channel 18, the tumblers E and will operate to lock the controller plate 10 in looking position. It will be understood that there is a close fit between the tumblers and their respective guide ways 19 and 20, so that when these tumblers are placed in any position in their guide ways, they will be retained in those positions on account of the frictional engagement. It will, of course, be understood that since the steering post is nearly vertical, the tumblers will practically be in a horizontal position so that there is no tendency to shift these tumblers. It will, of course, be understood that in order to unlock the controller plate, it is necessary that the tumblers E and P be shifted further into the plate 7 until the reduced ortions 26 thereof come opposite the contro ler plate and the channel 18 therein. If, however, the tumbler N is moved, then the enlarged portion 24 will move into the recess 17 in the controller plate so as to lock this plate against movement, even though the tumblers E and P be moved to I inactive positions. It will, therefore, be seen that in order to lock the controller plate or element 10, it is necessary to shift the tumblers E and P, but the tumbler N should be left undisturbed. Consequently, the combination is with the osition of the tumblers as shown in E and and the tumbler N- is simply placed in inverted position to complicate the combination.

When the chaufleur desires to unlock the automobile, he will depress the buttons E and P and this will operate to shift the corresponding tumblers to inactive positions, thereby releasing the controller plate. If, however, he should also depress the button N, the controller plate will not be unlocked. Assuming that only the buttons E and P have been depressed so that the controller plate is released, by rasping the lug 16, the controller plate can e moved to withdraw the bolt 11 from the kee or 13, thereby releasin the steering wheel It will be noted that t e controller plate can be moved an amount suflicient to move the next set of recesses in alinement with the tumblers, and by operating the knob or button 37, the tumb ers will again be moved to active positions to lock the controller plate in inactive position, so that the automobile cannot be locked by anyone, but one who knows the combination. When it is again desired to lock the automobile, the buttons E and P areagain depressed, the controller plate moved to, the left, Figs. 1 and 2, nd the steering wheel rotated until the bolt 11 can again be slipped into the has er 13, and then by operating the button 3,, the tumblers can then be moved to activepositions to lock the controller plate; 1 i

When the automobile owner desires to change the combination, the lock 47 is opened by a suitable key, the cap 40 is swung on its pivot 39 so as to expose the tumblers, and these tumblers can then be placed in any suitable positions in selected guide ways. In practice, the key for the lock 47 will be carried b the automobile owner, so that the chau eur cannot change the combination of the lock. It will also be noted that the screws 8 are only accessible for operation after the cap 40 has been unlocked and opened so that no one but the holder of the key for the lock 47 can detach the locking device from the automobile.

It will, therefore, be seen that the invention accomplishes its objects. An automobile lock is reduced which is simple in construction, e ective in its action, and exceedingly cheap to manufacture, and a large number of combinations may be obtained with a small number of tumblers. The lock can be readily attached to any automobile, and when in position will securel lock the same against unauthorized use. 11 view of the fact that the combination is obtained by a series of buttons, the lock can be opened and closed in the dark, and b touch.

It is obvious that various c anges may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of this invention; it is to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to the specific construction shown and described.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a combination look, a bolt, a controller plate having a series of enlarged tumbler-receiving recesses connected by restricted channels, and a plurality of invertible tumblers cooperating therewith, adapted to lock said bolt in looking or unlocking position. I

2. In a combination lock, a pair of hinged plates adapted to embrace a column, locking mechanism carried by said plates, means for fastening said plates on said column, and locking means adapted to secure said fastening means including a cover and a lock adapted to secure said cover.

8. In a combination lock, a pair of hinged plates adapted to embrace a colunm, means for locking said plates on said column including means for fastening said plates, a cover for said fastening means and a lock adapted to secure said cover, a bolt ada ted to lock said column, and means for loc 'ng said bolt in locking or unlocking position.

4. In a combination lock, a pair of hinged plates adapted to embrace a column, means for locking said plates on said column, a bolt, a controller plate having a series of enlarged tumbler-receiving recesses connected by restricted channels and a plurality of invertible tumblers cooperating with said controller plate to lock said bolt in looking or unlocking position.

5. In a combination lock, a pair of hinged plates adapted to embrace a column, a plurality of ide ways in said plates, tumblers in sald guide-ways, a bolt, and a controller plate adapted to cooperate with said tumblers to lock said bolt.

6. In a combination look, a pair of hinged plates adapted to embrace a column, a plurality of guide ways in said plates, tumblers in said guide-ways, a bolt, and a controller plate adapted to cooperate with said tumblers to lock said bolt in looking or unlocking position.

7. In a combination lock, a pair of hinged plates adapted to embrace a column, guide ways in one of said plates, guide ways in the other of said plates, said guide ways being adapted for alinement with each other when said plates are in position on said column, tum lers in said guide ways, a bolt, and means for controlling the positions of said tumblers to lock said bolt.

8. In a combination lock, a pair of hinged plates adapted to embrace a column, gulde ways in one of said plates, guide ways in the other of said plates, said guide ways being adapted for alinement with each other when said plates are in position on said column, tum lers in said guide ways, a bolt, and means for controlling the positions of said tumblers to lock said bolt, a casing for said controlling means and means for locking said casing.

In testimon whereof I aifix my signature this 23 day 0 Februar 1918.

JOS F F. SCHICKE. 

